A Perfect Day in Downtown Oakland Edition (no car needed!)
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Angelica
Bay AreaCityHikingIndoor Activities

A Perfect Day in Downtown Oakland Edition (no car needed!)

“What are your favorite things to do with kids in Oakland?” is a question we get asked often, and which in the almost-ten years we’ve lived in The Town, continues to shift as we grow along with our young child. Despite its often bad rap, as with any urban city, Oakland is home to diverse populations, plenty to see, do, and eat, and of course, renowned rappers.

Here are just some of our family-friendly recs in Oakland based on how much time you have available and what time of year you’re visiting. We crafted this sample itinerary specifically for those of us with kids-under-five, and who might be traveling without a car (or who’d rather just park in one place and walk (cough, me)). Reviews for each of these spots coming soon! 

For a mapped list of our recommendations, sign up for our mailing list and let us know what map you’re looking for!

Oakland is in Huchiun, stolen and occupied Lisjan Ohlone land.

Click to Jump Ahead to

Cityscape view from Middle Harbor Shoreline Park in Oakland, CA
 

A green ship in a green lake is set against a blue-yet-cloudy sky. A child is walking atop the ship.
Let your imagination run wild with the playful structures (like this ship) at Children's Fairyland, Oakland

BEFORE YOU GO: Reserve tickets and tables, if possible!


AGE RANGE OF THE KIDS: Great for any age; Children’s Fairyland is best for young children 18 months and older


SUGGESTED LENGTH OF STAY: One fine day! Or a weekend. Or forever.


TIME OF YEAR: The coastal sections of the Bay Area experience warmer (what you’d think of as “summer”) weather during September and early-October. It’s actually somewhat foggy and cold during the typical summer months (June-August)–don’t say we didn’t warn ya!


WHAT WE PACKED: Standard diaper bag essentials


BASE COST: (+/-)$50/person

One fine day in Downtown Oakland
(Wednesday-Sunday), on foot or bike

Ethiopian Breakfast from OakCali Cafe.

Suggested Morning Itinerary

Breakfast at OakCali Cafe

Black woman-owned restaurant; ~$15-$25/person

Grab an Ethiopian Breakfast (scrambled eggs, scrambled injera, toast, and rice, $12)) and a coffee for you to enjoy either on their sidewalk patio, in either wing of their indoor restaurant, or to-go at nearby Lake Merritt.

Visit Children's Fairyland

$13/person ages 1+

Let your tot run through this magical vintage amusement park where everything is their size. Play areas, rides, puppet shows, and other entertainment await your littles at this lakeside amusement park that predates even Disneyland!


See our full review of Children’s Fairyland here!

A child holds up a pink boba drink from Asha Tea House in front of their face.
Y'all should know that we're big fans of boba, and Asha Tea House specifically. So many kid-friendly and fresh fruit drinks on the menu!

Suggested Afternoon Itinerary

Lunch at Trueburger

Asian-owned restaurant; ~$10-$25/person

Grab a vegetarian cheese-stuffed portobello burger, the most garlicky of garlic fries, and a twinkie milkshake (they’re as rich as they sound) from this lakeside small business that rivals Shake Shack—yep, I said it!

Enjoy the Outdoors

After lunch, soak up the sunshine at Lake Merritt and/or hang out at the Snow Park playground.

Eat Merienda/an Afternoon Snack

~$10/person

We suggest merienda at Cafe Gabriela (Pilipinx-owned biz), located on Broadway, between Old Oakland and Chinatown. Order their housemade special: the pulled pork adobo sandwich. Occasionally they even serve Pilipinx sotanghon (bean thread noodle soup), which perfect on a cold day!


You could also try Asha Tea House, one of our favorite local boba spots. Order fresh boba and teas (a fruit-milk for the kiddos) and a Third Culture Bakery mochi muffin (both Asian-owned businesses).

Ethiopian Breakfast from OakCali Cafe.

Suggested Evening Itinerary

Dinner at Swan's Market

~$20-$30/person

You can’t go wrong when you order from any of the BIPOC-run food kiosks in this historic building with cafeteria-style seating. A personal fave dish is the fried oyster po’boy from The Cook and Her Farmer. Don’t forget to grab a key lime cupcake from black woman-owned Cupcakin’ Bake Shop on your way out!

Dessert at Understory

BIPOC- and worker-led restaurant; ~$15-$25/person

This worker-led restaurant has a rotating menu for dinner and dessert, but they serve a mean mochi donut and ube cheesecake! Plus, their space is beautiful and they have an outdoor parklet. One of the owners is a friend from Cal—Go Bears!

If you have more than a day in The Town, we recommend the above activities, plus any or all of the following:

 

Activities

A child looks at a pen of elephants at the Oakland Zoo.
A child in an Oakland A's hat stands in front of a sweeping view of Oakland.
The view from the Bishop's Walk trail in the Oakland hills provides a sweeping view of Oakland and the Bay.

More to Eat & Drink

 

 

Fruitvale

 

Chinatown

 

Visit Tao Yuen for grab-and-go of any of your share of dim sum delectables (our faves are the har gow and shrimp wontons, and buttery coconut cocktail buns and sesame balls) ($5-$10/person)

Dimond

 

  • Grab some mofongo and tostones from Puerto Rican-owned La Perla–you will not regret it! (~$20+/person)
  • Enjoy a beer and tacos at Degrees Plato while letting your kid run around their huge outdoor space ($20+/person)

Uptown

  • Named by the San Francisco Chronicle as one of the Bay Area’s Top 25 Restaurants in fall 2021, Mela Bistro (an Ethiopian woman-owned restaurant) is a feast for the senses in a warm and inviting space in Uptown Oakland. My kid loved sitting on their cushions 🙂
  • alaMar is owned by Top Chef contestant Nelson German and has some of the most delicious garlic noodles ($19) I’ve ever tasted–saucy, garlicky, and topped with a crispy fried egg. *chef’s kiss*

Lakeshore

 

Visit The Star on Grand (part of the Little Star Pizza’s chain of restaurants) for the best deep dish pizza on cornmeal crust in the Bay, and, dare we say, the U.S.?! ($15+/person)

Clockwise from left: alaMar's Garlic Udon Noodles ($19), Peel n Eat Shrimp Boil ($23), Grilled island Bread ($4), margarita (~$12).

Montclair

Visit Daughter Thai (Thai-owned biz) for Thai dishes as delicious as they are beautiful in a kitschy and colorful setting ($20+/person)

 

Temescal

  • Visit Cafe Colucci (Ethiopian-owned biz) for Ethiopian food – can’t go wrong with the vegetarian sampler platter (~$15+/person)
  • Visit Burma Superstar (Burmese-owned biz) for the most delectable garlic noodles and their signature garlicky fermented tea leaf salad (~$15+/person)

Jack London Square

  • Visit The Forge for pizza (we love the cauliflower+arugula), brews, and Midwest-style fried cheese curds, all while hanging out on their outdoor patio (~$15+/person)
  • If you have older kids, you might enjoy Plank, a restaurant/bowling alley/arcade, complete with a huge outdoor patio with bocce ball courts.
The cauliflower pizza at The Forge in Jack London Square is delicious! Don't forget to order the cheese curds.
The Old West-themed structures at Montclair Park provide a fun jumping-off point for playing pretend.

Places You Can Skip

We may be biased, but we stand by all the top recs in Oakland 🙂

 

Wishlist for Our Next Visit

We have yet to visit the Oakland Aviation Museum–perhaps one of these days!

We hope you enjoy your trip or staycation in Oakland! Let us know if we missed anything below—this guide will be continually updated so check back for more!

Angelica
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Angelica (she/her) is of Cebuano(Pilipinx)-descent and was born and raised in Huchiun Ohlone territory (the East Bay Area--pay your Shuumi Land Tax!), where she also now resides with her partner and their toddler. She loves to spend her time sipping on boba and dirty chai lattes (sometimes together), and eating pescetarian goodies at BIPOC-owned cafes and restaurants.

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